Revelation
by Bradknight
Summary: "Who… who's there?" Douglas franticly turned from side to side searching the darkness. "You know me. I'm an ever present piece of you." The darkness around him took form before him the light that had been drowned in the sea of black leaking back into the halls of the vault. "I am you. Every dark impulse every sadistic thought every bit of rage. I am you, I am Darkness."
1. Memories

Chapter 1 Memories

Two as I start to input the code into the purifier I can't help but think where it all began the beginning of my journey months of travel, pain physical and emotional, and fighting for my very survival. I know I wasn't born in the vault like my father told me, I've found enough of his old holotapes in this place to know I was born here in the wasteland. I was raised in the vault a place I call home or did anyway Vault 101. It's the memories of that home the people there and in the wastes of America's capital Washington, D.C. that I think of now at this moment. Memories of how I got to here the end of my months long journey.

A ten year old boy with a fair white complexion, chestnut brown hair, and steel colored eyes that could pierce a person's soul named Douglas was just getting out of bed on the day of his 10th birthday getting dressed in his blue and yellow Vault 101 jumpsuit, while rubbing the sleep from his "Stupid jumpsuits I hate snug fitting cloths why can't they be baggier?" It was around this train of thought he noticed the distinct lack of noise in his and his father's apartment within the vault. "Dad? You home?" Hearing no reply he proceeded to walk out of his room of the apartment into the living room, a short look around and he located a letter on the end table by the door.

"Douglas when you wake up make your way down to the diner Love Dad."

Discarding the letter into the trash he finished getting dressed in his uncomfortably snug suit and made his way out the door. "What could dad want to meet at the diner for, kind of early for lunch isn't it?" Making the short walk to the vault's diner he opened the door to darkness only to be blasted by light like the surface of the sun hearing a group yelling "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Clutching his eyes from the intrusive light he could hear Officer Gomez one of the vaults security guards scolding Stanley the vaults mechanic for turning the lights on to fast "Hehe sorry kiddo". His sight returning to him he could make out his best friend Amata and his father James at the head of the pack. "Happy Birthday son you're 10 years old already… If only your mother was here to see you now she'd be-" just then the overseer of the vault interrupted "Happy Birthday now that you're 10 years old you can start to take on responsibilities around the vault and in honor of this I'm presenting you with this Pipboy 3000." He muttered in his typical holier-than-thou attitude. "Get used to it…" Then turned and left with not another word "Jerk…. Still I've been waiting to get this since I turned 8." With that he put the bracer glove on his left hand and mounted the forearm sized computer to his arm hugged his father and went over to his friend Amata pleasantly surprised.

"Happy Birthday! We really got you didn't we" Amata said smugly happy that she managed to catch Douglas off guard meanwhile hiding his gift behind her back. "Thanks Amata I hope you know I'm gona get you back for this I was genuinely surprised." He noticed her smug look she was definitely pleased with herself. "You're welcome I told your dad we could get you this time around, but anyway I bet you can't guess what I got you. Go on try and guess!" He thought for a moment what she could have gotten him giving up after a couple of seconds. "I don't know what is it" He asked teasingly waiting for an answer "I got another one on you you're slipping it's a comic I know how you love them." It was a Grognak the Barbarian comic issue 4 practically undamaged, and when he opened the comic he found a picture he and Amata had taken a few months back of them. "Wow Amata this is awesome, How did you get ahold of this?" he exclaimed stunned. "A girls gotta have her secrets come on let's go get some cake." As the friends went over to the bar where the cake was the vaults robot Andy said for everyone to gather it's time to cut the cake. "Wait wait Andy" Stanley said but it was too late as the bot used his buzz saw not only cutting the cake but obliterating it. "Oh nooo" Amata exclaimed.

As I think back it's what followed 9 years later being forced from home in fear for my life, into this harsh world. Walking out the entrance to the cave the vault was in the light was so much brighter so much harsher than that party .It feels like a hundred years when in reality just a few months ago I was safe and happy in my home. I felt lost and alone, scared i had no idea what awaited me in the wastes of America's capital.

Authors note: this is my first story ever and I intend on continuing hope you the reader enjoy and please do review good or bad I want constructive criticism to help me improve as a writer and to help me write the series. Thank you from me to you.

Special thanks to Wolfboywarrior and his I'm assuming his cause you know boy in the name his story Wasteland Ghost your story has inspired me to put my years of memories of fallout 3 to paper well data anyway you get the point if you read this Thank you for the inspiration.


	2. Lost and Alone

Chapter 2 Lost and Alone

"WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO!" Douglas yelled into the sky as he paced around on the ledge near the entrance to vault 101, A N99 10mm pistol tucked into his suits jacket and a travel pack hanging loosely on his shoulder. "Ohh god I think I'm going to be sick" as he said that to himself he leaned over losing his stomach contends onto the dusty ground below him. "Ok ok ok ok ok not ok not ok" He continued pacing for a good 15 minutes before he found himself in a fetal position trying to regain his composure. "Ok what do I have with me" Opening his pack and turning out his pockets to take stock of what he had stopping when he found the picture of Amata and his 9 year old selves. "Oh God Amata I already wish you were here with me now you're the only one who could ever keep up with me." He sighed looking at the photo until he placed it in his left chest pocket, "Ok Douglas inventory time 50 rounds of 10mm, 5 bottles of water, 3 boxes of food, a telescopic baton, 17 bobby pins, 3 N99 10mm pistols, 13 stim-paks, 2 pills of rad-x, and an assortment of random crap I grabbed so not totally boned." As Douglas sorted through his pack he also examined the horizon seeing a town almost directly below him. "Ok that's where I start where I go from there I have no damn clue one step at a time Douglas one step at a time."

As he descended the hill from the vault into town he took note of a few buildings many being derelict homes, if you could even call them that most were little more than debris though a larger building and a small home stood out seeming to be in modest condition. What really caught his attention was an odd looking robot that looked similar to the Russian sputnik satellite hovering his way, He drew his 10mm and approached slowly as it grew closer he heard it muttering what sounded like a radio broadcast "Greetings America it is I your president John Henry Eden and I-." It flew by continuing spouting its broadcast to any that could hear it, "Well that was interesting wonder what it was on about could there really be a remnant of the old world government never mind not important." He carefully made his way into the town stopping to check out a few mailboxes and two of the derelict homes for anything useful. Finding a safe in one of the homes he spent a few moments and a few bobby pins picking the lock. "Wow I didn't expect to find anything useful in these derelicts," he went over his findings packing them away for use later. "Ok three frag grenades holy shit an inhaler of some unknown substance a Pugilism Illustrated magazine and some random crap I could probably sell good haul I guess."

As he finished his looting he made his way over to the small home that he noticed on his way into town he couldn't help to mutter to himself. "I suppose I should see if there is anyone that could point me in a general direction of a settlement of some kind, but will they be the type of person that's hostile." As he entered the home he reached for the pistol in his pocket in case this seemingly abandoned home wasn't so abandoned. He couldn't help but imagine what he could be getting himself into. Getting a brief glance around was all he managed before a woman in her early forties-ish came around the corner from the bedroom of this small home." Who the hell are you?! Did that prick Moriarty send you to get his money I ain't giving you anything." Douglas had a few moments to think before things got violent, "Ok just the type of reaction I didn't want to walk into how do I play this she doesn't look armed I could try to restrain her- no no bad idea I could tell her the truth I have no idea what she's talking about." Whilst in his thoughts the woman was becoming impatient. "Hey hey hey easy I have no idea what you're on about, I just came in here to see if he place was abandoned and if it wasn't if I could get directions who's this guy your on about?" She remained on guard but relaxed a bit "Moriarty he owns the bar in Megaton nearby I owe him 400 caps, And he won't leave me alone because of it." Megaton Douglas read about that in the overseer's terminal though the details were sketchy a good file keeper he wasn't. "Caps? As currency I can see that happening and if she has 400 of them maybe I can get directions and some money in the process. Hey look if you give me the caps and directions to town I can tell Moriarty you've taken off should be free then right?" Douglas continued to hold onto his 10mm in his jacket pocket preparing for a fight. "Ok take them just make sure you tell him I'm gone I've grown sick and tired of living like the next person that comes through that door is going to kill me for that prick." As for directions head right out the door then left at the road you'll find a sign follow that." The woman handed Douglas a jingling pouch of caps and went back into the room on the other side of the small home. Douglas proceeded to promptly make his exit from the home not wanting to over stay his welcome.

Exiting the home he was greeted by the blazing midday sun and the wasteland heat that came with it. "Jesus it's hot out here better make my way to Megaton now before I get heat stroke." He said to no one in particular as he opened one of his few precious cans of pure water, drinking some of its contents and looking around before refastening the lid and returning what remained to his pack. To his left he could see a sign stating Springvale Elementary, and the remaining Derelicts he hadn't searched yet. "Hmmm an old school could be things in there I could use, no no I need to get to town search the place at a later date." As he took in his surroundings he decided to walk over the last remaining homes to finish his search of the derelicts. Finding only a bottle of vodka and a half empty bottle of scotch in a cabinet in one of the houses and a foot locker with some random items in the other. He turned back toward the woman's home he had just left a few minutes ago and looked to his left the direction the woman told him to go. He made his way following the woman's directions coming upon a makeshift sign with the word Megaton and an arrow pointing the way. "Megaton ok signs lead the way". Coming over the hill he set his gaze upon a mess of rusted metal salvage making up walls of this settlement, with what appeared to be rusted up air plane parts making up the towns entrance. A robot which he recognized as a RobCo Industries Protectron stood guard at the gate. "Oh thank god civilization if you can even call it that hell I'm not choosey right now hope I don't get tetanus."

Coming upon that rusted wall of metal gave me the first bit of hope I had since I left the vault, it wasn't pretty but it did and still does beat the wastes any day. I had no idea how far I was going to go if I would find dad or not I just knew at that moment I had hope that Ide live past this day no matter what the next one held that was my life now. Though that didn't hit home for awhile yet.


	3. Megaton

Chapter 3 Megaton

As Douglas came closer the towering entrance to the junk made town of Megaton, he noted a man in a perch like landing above the main gate. _Armed more than likely a sniper, seems very well fortified to say the least_. A man dressed in a baggy and battered coat with random pieces of junk such as eating utensils around the belt and many pockets observed the lone figure approaching the town. Noting the bag, that was resting heavily on his shoulders, and blue jumpsuit already picking up dust from the wind. "Well I'll be crazy bastard, oh wait I am he he he kids from one of the vaults it seems, could have plenty of great junk to sell." The man thought to himself as he made his best attempt to garner the attention of the figure heading down the path. As Douglas approached the man who was obviously trying to get his attention wary of what he could want. "Welcome sir or madam, to Crazy Wolfgang's Junk Store! The Depot of Detritus, the Shop of Slop, the Caravan of Crap! Now, what can I, the Craziest of all possible Wolfgang's offer to you? He said as he put all of his best charm into his introduction. "That was quite the introduction, name's Douglas nice to meet you." Douglas said trying to make a good first impression, especially is the man could buy some of the things he had in his pack to lighten his load. "As it is to meet you my boy, I Crazy Wolfgang have every feasible, imaginable, and possible type of random assorted crap available for you to buy for a reasonable price, and will even buy anything you wish to sell." Crazy stated as if he had said it a thousand times, he probably has. "You're a trader then awesome I was hoping to lighten my load before I went into town, if you could?" He said happy to have met a trader. "Of course my boy show me what you have." They traded crap for caps as Douglas asked Crazy about the local area trying to get some information to plug into his pipboy map. "Come again to Crazy Wolfgang's Junk Store! And don't forget to tell your friends". Crazy said as he walked off trailing his Caravan to places unknown to Douglas, as he input some data into his wrist mounted computer and hefting the lessened weight of his bag onto his shoulder. Walking toward the town's gated entrance the robot acting as a greeter spoke up. "Welcome to Megaton partner. The bomb is perfectly safe, we promise." That got Douglas's attention. "Bomb what bomb what do you mean by safe?" He asked a stunned wide eyed look upon his face. It's at this moment the gate began to open and the man on the cat walk told him not to bother that it's just a programmed greeting, and to hurry up an head on inside so he could close the gate again in an annoyed manner." Alright I'm going, sheeeess!"

As Douglas entered the town he was stunned by what he saw, a town built up from the bottom of a crater all manner of homes, building and walkways made from the scraps of the old world. At the center an undetonated fatman style nuclear bomb just sitting there at the heart of a bustling settlement. It boggles the mind why they would build around a bomb, Douglas thought to himself as a dark skinned older gentleman approached him wearing a leather duster and what appeared to be a hat a rancher or cowboy would wear. "Well I'll be damned; you're from that vault, Vault 101. He he he I haven't seen one of those jumpsuits in years. The man whom Douglas could only assume was another greeter or maybe the sheriff with that getup like that said in a gruff but welcoming voice. Also noting what looked to be a Type 93 assault rifle strapped to his back. "The names Lucas Simms town sheriff, and mayor when the need arises welcome to Megaton." The man introduced definitely coming across as the law. "Nice to meet you sheriff my names Douglas Myers quite the town you have here it's a bit of an eyesore to be honest." "Polite and not afraid to say what's on your mind I can tell were going to get along well kid, just don't start any trouble and there won't be any." Douglas couldn't shake the thought of dying any moment being here as they conversed, knowing less than 15 yards away was a devise that could disintegrate everyone here in an instant. "I hear you I'm not here to cause any, though if you don't mind me asking why in the hell would you build an entire town around an unexploded nuclear bomb seems like the mother of all bad ideas to me?" Douglas said with a puzzled look on his face hoping for an answer maybe he could even take a crack at disarming the thing with the right tools. _The one thing I couldn't grab before I left my tools stupid idiot, not like I took bomb disarming 101 in school though_. He mentally berated himself for his lack of thinking. "It's not like Megaton was built in a day it took decades from the first homes being built to the walls that keep us safe. Many of the first settlers were hopefuls looking to get into Vault 101, no such luck though so they ended up settling here, there's even a damn church that worships the damn bomb bunch of crazies." The sheriff went on telling Douglas about the towns founding it made sense except for the worshipping bit, how crazy did you have to be? "People worship that thing? Whatever not important I was thinking I could take a crack at disarming it if I had the right tools, I was pretty handy back in the vault." The Sheriff at that wore a face of amusement though what if he could disarm it he and many others would definitely feel safer. "Now hold up now I don't want you going and blowing us all up but if you could Ide be willing to pay you let's say 100 caps, I could even throw in the deed to an old home in town if you could disarm it." 100 caps Douglas didn't mind the sound of that and a place of his own was even better he didn't have a home anymore now that the vault was sealed up. "You got a deal sheriff I'll see what I can do, before I go can you point me to a place where I could get tools and supplies and maybe a place to stay for the night." Sleep was something coming to his mind as he hadn't gotten a full night's sleep because of the start of this cluster fuck of a day. "Crater Side Supply is where you can go to get supplies, just don't mind Moira she's, a bit eccentric but a kind soul. And as for sleep Moriarty's Saloon should have a room for rent and companionship if you want it." Lucas pointed out the buildings to Douglas and started down the hill into town to go on with his own business. _Moriarty's ehh that's the name of the guy that woman in Springvale told me about. O_ k first thing first head to meet this Moira and buy a better weapon than just this N99 also see about those tools I will need. Maybe I can get something better to wear than this annoyingly snug suit as well, that would be nice." Douglas began up the path to the store looking down at the creator below with people going about their lives having conversations and buying food or drink at what looked to be the only other eating establishment in town other than the saloon. "Not much different than the vault in that aspect minus the rust and radiation though, people just living whatever lives they can to the best of their ability." He muttered to himself as he approached the door to Crater Side Supply.

Upon entering the shop Douglas was met with a large puff of black smoke caused by whatever the woman whom he could only assume to be Moira was tinkering on before it blew up in her face covering it in soot. Coughing Douglas fanned the smoke away from his face with his hand and took a look around, noticing a man slouched against that wall wearing something you'd imagine a body guard or mercenary to wear shooting a look over at him and Moira shaking his head at the failed experiment then going back to his own boredom. "Ohhh hey you must be that new stray from the vault, sorry about that just one of my experiments backfiring on me… again oh well I'm Moira Brown what can I do for you?" Moira coughed out fishing a rag from one of the pockets on her baggy mechanics jumpsuit to wipe the soot from her face, while taking in her newest customer's appearance. Being roughly 6'5 and 245lbs with mid neck length hair and a week or so of growth on his face. Douglas was an imposing person, muscular but not overdoing it. "Cough uhh yeah I'm the stray from the vault names Douglas nice to meet you, how'd you find out so quickly I just got into town?" He asked while continuing to cough a bit as the smoke had nearly cleared. "Ohh news travels fast around here, especially about noticeable persons like a tall guy in a blue and yellow suit." She chuckled clearing her counter of her failed experiment so Douglas would have a place to set things to trade. "Yeah I guess I do stand out." Moira suddenly remembered another project she was working on. "Hey I just remembered another project I was working on, I'm writing a book about survival in the wastes. Ide love to get a statement from you about your time in the vault." She exclaimed giddily hoping he'd give her a statement hoping he could even help her with the field research as well. "Umm sure I could say a bit about the vault." I could say a lot about the vault not much of it good right now He sighed. "Goody so coming from a vault what's your thoughts on the outside world" Pulling out a pencil and paper, waiting anxiously for his reply. "Well the sun definitely is harsher than the lights of the vault, and I can already tell water is going to be a major concern for me other than that I've meet some friendly people so far." He told her as she rapidly wrote down what he said to quote later. "Excellent, thank you so much that will work great for what I had in mind, just be careful not ever one is as nice as we are. Now that that's out of the way maybe you could help me out some more with the book, "I need someone to do field research for me for the book I mean." _I suddenly have a feeling I'm not going to like this_. "Ok what would I be doing and what would you pay me?, I'm so not going to like this." He muttered that last bit under his breath hoping it wasn't anything to dangerous. "Ohhhh goody I knew you would help me, no one else will anyway the first chapter is about dealing with the daily issues of surviving in the wastes." She went into more detail while Douglas noticed an old vault suit obviously modified with some bits of leather here and there and pouches along a bandolier connecting to a single shoulder pad hanging on the wall behind her. "Hey Moira where'd you get that old vault suit on the wall?" Douglas asked cutting Moira off on her ramblings. "Ohh that old thing another vault dweller asked me to modify it for them a decade back or so, poor guy never came back probably died out in the wastes somewhere." Douglas grimaced at her nonchalant dismissal of a man's life a fellow vault dweller none the less. After Douglas and Moira ironed out the details of their partnership he proceeded to trade the rest of the junk and other items had in exchange for a decent condition R91 assault rifle, 120 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, 2 extra magazines, 4 more cans of water a KA-BAR combat knife in rough shape and a scarf and goggles to cover his face and eyes in case of sandstorm. Moira also gave him the modified suit as a cementing gesture for their new partnership.

Changed into the new suit and strapping his new weapons to him Douglas slung his pack over his shoulder biding Moira goodbye walking back out into the heat of day. Checking his pipboy for the time it read 4:30 pm. "Jesus did I really spend hours talking to her fuck sake!" He muttered emotionally drained and physically exhausted trudging his way to the saloon and more importantly a bed. Entering the saloon his senses were assaulted by the smells of strong liquor and tobacco from cigarettes. He scanned the room seeing many patrons the one person that really stood out was a man who looked like he had been burned from head to toe. _God how is that man still standing he must be in a lot of pain_. He approached the bar gaining the attention of the bartender. "Hey smooth skin, my names Gob whatcha need?" He asked in a gruff and raspy voice. "A bed for the night would be nice Gob names Douglas by the way nice to meet you." Gob was well… gobsmacked a smooth skin that didn't want to berate or insult him because of his looks he couldn't believe it. "You're not going to yell at me? Beat me? Not even berate me a little bit?" Douglas didn't know why he was asking him that why would anyone treat him that way? _Are people really that shallow_? _Scratch that I know they are_. "I wasn't planning on it." Douglas said tiredly while Gob looked at him slightly teary eyed. "I….. I don't know what to say Douglas thank you. Most people treat me like crap cause of how I look, and hey don't tell anybody especially Moriarty but I'll give you a discount on anything on tap because you brightened my night." Gob told him how much the room would be for the night and directed him to the last room at the end of the balcony upstairs. As Douglas made his way to his rented room he began to feel the stress of the day catching up to him. Other than his breakdown after just leaving the vault, he hadn't vented he hadn't figured out what he'd do next. Upon entering his room for the night Douglas flipped the lock into place leaning his new to him rifle against the dresser next to the door and dropped his pack at the foot of the bed. Finally slouching down onto the bed he cupped his face in his palms, the emotional strain of the day catching up with him. "God this day…. I don't know what to do now." He let out in exhausted whisper to himself. Finally getting up the small amount of energy necessary to make the move from the foot of the bed to lying in it he began his journey into a fitful sleep.

My first day outside the vault and I was terrified for what the next would hold. I just didn't have the energy to care at that moment. I should have though because fear it keeps you alive something I would come to learn.

Authors note: Yeah this one was a long one I didn't realize how much dialog I was putting in till I read through it myself whoops, I don't mind it though I find it fun to write the next chapter is going to involve some combat I promise. Also please do review I very much want tips and opinions, like I've said this is my first story and I'm not very skilled at writing yet feedback will help me with that. Thanks for reading.

Sincerely Bradknight


	4. Home no more

Chapter 4 Home no more

"He he he you can't catch me Amata you're gona have to run faster if you want if back." Douglas shouted playfully to his 16 year old best friend, as he held a book she had been buried in for the better part of two weeks ignoring him in the process hostage. Running from her as she angrily shouting his name as they ran through the lower levels of the vault that only they and the vaults mechanic Stanley dared to enter. "Douglas! Douglas bring that back right now!" She yelled as she starting to enjoy the chase. "Nuh uhhh you got to catch me if you want it back, it's what you get for ignoring me for the last week and a half." He said as he took a wrong turn into a dead end of the labyrinth that was the vaults lower levels. Turning around to get back onto the right path only to have Amata tackle him like a blur sending them both to the floor laughing all the way. "Got you, now hand it over." She said reaching for the book he held in his hand smiling down at him. "Ok ok you win Amata, this time." He exclaimed smiling back up at her handing her the book. "I miss you, you know, when you seal yourself away to read those books of yours." She'd done it enough times for him to start getting more than a little annoyed prompting this adventure in the lower levels. "I know sorry I just get absorbed, kinda like you when you find something new you haven't taken apart to see how it works." She said blushing at his admission and noticing their closeness. She wasn't the only one who had either. Douglas had noticed her blush his mischievousness rearing its head as he took advantage of their position to trap her in his ticklish embrace. "Ahhhhhhh nooo Douglas stop he he he he he, Douglas he he he stop Douglas, Douglas, WAKE UP WAKE UP!" Snapping from him from his pleasant memory made dream to her shaking him awake and sirens blaring in the vault, he always did sleep like a rock.

"Ohh hey Amata I was just dreaming of you." He said smugly causing her to scowl at him. "Now's no time to be a smart mouth you've got to get up my father's men are looking for you." She exclaimed almost at the point of hysterics. "Why? I haven't given them a reason to detain me and where's my dad at? How'd you even get in here anyway?" He asked confused and still half asleep. "Your dad he's left the vault and my father he's gone crazy he….. he killed Jonas." That woke him up like sack of bricks falling on him Jonas was a great friend of his and his fathers, even training under his father to become a second doctor for the vault he was a lot of fun to be around. "WHAT!? Ohh god Jonas, what do you mean my father's left the vault that's impossible?" He said very much awake now and reeling for this sudden information being brought to him by his best friend. "Your dad left as in no longer is in the vault, you can't tell me he didn't tell you he was planning this, can you?" She asked worried for her friend and what the information she had just dumped on him was doing to him right now. Shaking his head while clutching at the hair on his head he answered her. "No I had no idea he was planning this, I didn't even know it was possible to leave I mean I know there's a door but… I" Trailing off still as he was still reeling from this sudden news. "None of that matters now, you need to get out of here before my father's goons get here otherwise…" She couldn't finish that thought. The sheer idea made her stomach turn in fear of her best friend's life. "And go where? The lower levels if it's as bad as you say it is….. NO! absolutely not, I'm not leaving the vault that's suicidal." He knew what she was going to suggest before she even had to say it. The surface can't sustain life or can it? "You have to if my father gets ahold of you he'll kill you too, and I can't bare that thought." Douglas knew she was right even though he didn't want to leave his home, and more importantly Amata behind just to follow his dad he had too. "Ok ok you're right I need to pack, I can't just go out there in only my suit." He said while franticly gathering everything he could think of and stuffing them into his baseball pack. "Here take this I took it from my father's room just in case." Handing him an N99 pistol and ammunition while he just stared at her. "Jesus! All right I'll try not to use it on anyone here unless I have to." Accepting the items from her and shoving the gun into his suit pocket. "I'm going to go see if I can calm my father down and stop this madness, make your way to my father's office there's a secret tunnel in there to the vault entrance. Good luck." With that said she ran off to try and find her father as Douglas grabbed his pack and baseball bat and made his way out into the hall outside his apartment.

"There he is I found him, Ohh shit more roaches!" Douglass turned to see Officer Kendall being attacked by three radroaches the size of a housecat. Against his better judgment he aided Kendall only to have him grab onto him after the roaches were dealt with. "Get the hell off me!" He yelled as he was grabbed from behind. Douglas's arms were trapped from the officers reverse bear hug whom wasn't going to listen. He put all his weight into throwing himself backward smashing Officer Kendall into the wall behind them stunning him long enough to get out of his hold. Turning around Douglas struck Kendall in the face with a right hook with enough force to bust his nose. Kendall stunned by the move kicked Douglas away with his leg causing him to stumble onto his back. "SON OF A BITCH! You brat I'm going to beat you into paste." Kendall yelled blood streaming down his face as he whipped out his telescopic baton. Scrambling to his feet Douglas grabbed his bat which had been knocked from his hands when Kendall had grabbed him and swung it as hard as he could connecting with the officer's right forearm and breaking the bone. "AHHHH! You son of a-." Kendall didn't get to finish his pained curse as Douglas swung the bat again hitting his helmet with enough force to knock him out cold. "Screw you Kendall and to think I saved your sorry ass." Douglas didn't waste any more time grabbing his pack and the officer's baton before making his way quickly down the main hall toward the diner. "Help! You gotta help me my mother she's trapped in there with those roaches. Please!" The call for help came from Douglas's least favorite person in the vault well second now that honor belonged to the overseer now, Butch Deloria the vault bully and leader of the Tunnel Snakes the vault's local gang. The same Butch whom made his and Amata's life difficult on more than one occasion throughout the years. "You have to be kidding me Butch if only you knew what irony meant." Butch just scowled at him but knowing he needed help he didn't retort back. "Please my mom I can't go in there alone. I know I've been a complete jerk but please you can't just let my mom die. Please!" Sighing Douglas knew he was right he couldn't let her die out of spite, what would have that made him certainly a worse person than Butch was. "Ok but you're going to help me do it take my bat and lets go." Handing Butch the bat and equipping Kendall's baton they rushed into the apartment toward the cries of Butch's mother. They made short work of the roaches and got his mom to the living room. "Thank you man you're alright, I think she's going to be ok now. Listen take my jacket as thanks for helping my mom I can't thank you enough."

Douglas now wearing his new leather jacket ran past the dinner toward the stairs to the vault's clinic and school getting a glance at Old Lady Palmer dead on the floor of the diner as he passed. "Poor Mrs. Palmer she didn't deserve to die to those damn roaches. He muttered to himself shaking his head at the loss while ascending the staircase only to stop half way up at the sight of another guard. "Ohhhh kid you're damn lucky it was me that found you and not any of the other guards." Douglas relaxed instantly hearing the voice of one of his only friends in vault security Officer Gomez. Gomez had taught him how to box in the vaults exercise facility and had become his weight trainer helping him to hone his muscles. "Ohh man you scared the hell out of me Gomez I thought you were another of that lunatic's goons." Letting out a breath he had been holding since he first saw him he approached up the stairs till he has at the landing at the top. "Don't think I don't know it I work for him after all, you need to get the hell out of here kid he's not happy not one bit." He knew that more than anyone at the moment it was his life in danger he had to go. He and Gomez made their way toward the clinic hearing a commotion and seeing flames they hurried to find Andy had fried several roaches with his built in torch. A few moments later Stanley came out of the clinic he had been hiding in it while Andy handled the infestation. "Hey Douglas don't worry I haven't seen you, you and your dad always did right by me I owe you that." Douglas gave a silent nod and went into his dad's office at the back of the clinic finding in in ruins. "Looks like this isn't some elaborate joke after all, this place is a mess. Dad would never let it get this way, unless he did it himself." He mumbled to himself stepping on the medicine bobble head that had always sat on his dad's desk which he leaned down to pick up and stuff into his pack before leaving not wanting to stay any longer, else he let his anger at his father grow for not telling him his plans to leave. As he made his way out and down the next stair case into the vault's atrium he heard gunshots and a woman yelling no before more shots rang out before stopping abruptly. He pulled his own pistol from his suit pocket taking off safety. Peering around the corner he saw the corpses of Mary and Tom Holden gunned down by two vault security officers at the access to the vault door. What happened next was a blur as his anger boiled over losing all control of his actions. Smoking gun in his hand and the bodies of the two vault security officers at his feet lifeless and unmoving, he came too looking down in shock. "Ohhhhh god what the hell did I just do? I… I killed them I don't remember doing it what the hell happened?" The bodies of the two guards were filled with holes and yet not a scratch was on him for the trouble. "I got to get out of here, right now."

Douglas ran up to the next level of the vault toward the security room and the overseer's office killing the roaches in the stairwell as he went along only stopping to peer around the corner of the hall near the security office. "Hey you punk get over here, now!" It was Vault Security Chief Hannon that had spotted him down the hall baton out and running straight toward him. He ducked back around the corner and prepared to swing as the chief rounded the corner. As the chief ran round the corner as if to give chase Douglas swung his bat straight at the chief's face knocking him flat on his ass, to which he smashed him in the face with the end of the bat to knock him out. "Goodnight Chief." It was after this he heard Amata talking as if in distress about something. He ran to the security office and looked in the window catching Amata's eye. She was being interrogated by he own father and his go to goon Officer Mack. That brought rage to his eyes, he didn't even think as he ran to the door of the office opening it and tackling Officer Mack to the ground. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER YOU BASTARD!" He yelled wrestling Mack on the ground, the two exchanging punches on the ground while Amata ran out the door and her father watched. Douglas grabbed ahold of Mack's un-helmeted head and pounded it into the ground many times until the man stopped moving. Getting up off the floor he made quick strides toward the source of his anger the overseer and grabbed onto front of his suit. "IF YOU SO MUCH AS TOUCH A HAIR ON HER HEAD EVER AGAIN I WILL END YOU, YOU UNDERSTAND ME!" He yelled to the man's face with rage burning in his soul piercing eyes and nothing but hate for the man in front of him. "I understand now let me go or I'll-." The overseer didn't get to finish that sentence as Douglas Grabbed onto his head and drove it into his knee breaking his nose and throwing him to the floor. "Have fun fixing that with the only other person that could fix it being dead by your hands scumbag." Douglas left without another word leaving the overseer clutching his broken face in agony to go find and console his best friend, only to come across the body of his friend Jonas in the next corridor. "Jonas no, I'm so sorry Jonas you didn't deserve any of this." All the anger left him and was replaced by sadness for his fallen friend. He took a moment to remove Jonas's glasses and shut his eyes as a final respect to his friend, it was then he noticed a holotape in his coat pocket with a note attached stating for Jonas to give this to him after his father had left. He had known about his father's crazy idea and had gone along with it. "Damn it Jonas why? Why didn't you tell me before he left?" No time to listen to it now he got up and went to find Amata in the overseer's chambers. "Amata are you ok?" He asked tenderly to his tearful friend while crouching down near her. "You didn't kill him did you?" She asked looking at him tearfully. "No, As much as he deserves it I wouldn't be any better than him if I killed him in cold blood like that, besides ide be hurting you more than ide be hurting him doing it." She tearfully hugged him at his statement and he hugged back. "You need to go, now before security gets up here. And here you will need this to get into my father's office." She handed him a keycard for the office telling him to go. In the office Douglas had grabbed the ammunition out of the overseer's arms lockers there and made his way over to the terminal which needed a password. "Shit ok, R, no, T, no, A." An affirming beep signified the correct input and the granting of access. _Very smart, dumbass_. Shaking his head Douglas found a few files on the outside world downloading them to his pipboy and executing the command to open the escape tunnel, to which the overseer's desk behind him rose up on pneumatic pistons. "Ok, that's actually pretty cool reminds me of the silver shroud's lair."

Douglas chuckled as he ran down the stairs of the escape tunnel leading to the vault's only entrance. Upon facing the huge gear shaped metal door he just stared at it like it was a mythical creature of some sort that should not be seen. _This is it no going back once I open this last door_. His thoughts forcing him to act he connected his pipboy to the vault mechanism and executed the sequence to open it. An ear piercing sound of groaning and grinding metal filled the room as the door began to slide back into the room before rolling into its open position. "You did it. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't believe it." Amata exclaimed awestruck at the door sitting there open to the cave leading to the war torn surface. Douglas looked back at her feeling like he couldn't go through with it now that she was here with him. "Come with me, we can leave and never look back Amata, make our own life." He said desperately wanting nothing more than that in his life. "I can't I'm the only one who has a chance to calm my father down and if I'm gone I can't bear to think of what he would do." He heard her words all of them like a hole in his heart and a storm above his head. The access door seal was broken behind them snapping out of his sorrow. "You need to go n-." He stopped her with a kiss surprising her but she returned the kiss only parting when they heard the guards opening the door and rushing into the room. "I'm coming back Amata I promise." He shouted back to her as he ran, ran out into the cave toward the light at the end nearly tripping on skeletons beyond the vault threshold. Ran from the only world he had ever known and from the girl he had loved since that day of chase back in the lower levels of the vault three years before. He was coming back no matter what it took to survive he would come back he had to.

If there is one thing that has kept me alive out here it's not the armor or the guns or the allies I've made out here, it's her and the promise I made I wouldn't let anything stop me from completing the only quest that mattered to me. No matter what I would come back.

Authors note: Yay combat and roid rage double yay, I'm joking don't do drugs. Anyway that's the first time I've written combat dialog let me know what you think, I found it fun and satisfying. Also longest chapter yet they keep growing don't they? Thanks for reading and don't forget to review, please I'm pining for your attention I need it.

Side note: Wow! After reading back through this I didn't realize some of the mistakes I made in the writing sorry bout that. Should be better revised now.

Sincerely Bradknight


	5. Have a Super-Duper Day

Chapter 5 Have a Super-Duper Day

Douglas awoke from his dream hoping to see the florescent lighting of the vault glowing down on him, only to have his hopes crushed by the sight of the room's dreary setting. The only light coming from the early morning sun leaking in through the many holes in the rusted metal walls. "Why can't this just be a bad dream? Why can't I just be home?" Glancing at his pipboy he checked the time. _5:45 am, damn I really was exhausted_. The mattresses old and rusting springs groaned as if in displeasure as he rose from it, he shared their sentiment feeling worse than he had the previous day. _This really isn't a dream I'm really here stuck in this hell_. Shaking the thoughts from his head and rubbing the sleep from his eyes he rose grabbing his pack from the foot of the bed, and grabbed his rifle from the dresser near the door before proceeding out onto the landing above the bar. "Morning sunshine." Gob called up to him when he noticed Douglas descending the stairs to the bar. "Well hello tall and gloomy, didn't notice you come in yesterday." Douglas turned his head to the voices direction. It was a woman with red hair and an alluring gaze, wearing what can only be described as very revealing and not modest in anyway. _A prostitute? That isn't surprising in the slightest. "_ Yeah morning Gob and morning to you as well, Miss?" He said sleepily. "Ha! My names Nova sweetie if you want to rent a bed with some company later let me know." _No thank you_. Douglas noticed a man in the corner of the room wearing a business suit with fedora and sun glasses. The man had something off about him something that just rubbed him the wrong way. "Excuse me sir I was hoping to speak to you if you wouldn't mind coming over." Douglas approached the man cautiously unable to shake the feeling in his gut about the man. "Alright, Speak to me about what exactly?" _This man has all kind of wrong surrounding him I don't like it._ "My dear boy, I am very happy to make your acquaintance. I am Mr. Burke and I have an offer for you one that will most certainly benefit the both of us." _Walk away, walk away now_. "Alright shoot." He asked ignoring his thoughts. "Excellent I knew you were just the sort for this. I represent certain… interests who view this town, as a blight upon the burgeoning urban landscape. If this settlement were to… go away. Why, who would really care?" _This man is talking about destroying the town, I knew I should have listened to my gut. "_ What would you have me do then and get to the point Mr. Burke." He stated becoming very wary of the man. "Blunt I like that, very well you will take this fusion pulse charge and attach it to the bomb in town. Then you will come to Tenpenny Tower for payment." _This man is sick there's no way in hell I'm doing this, but if I take the charge I can take It to the sheriff and implicate him._ "Alright Mr. Burke you have a deal."

"Sheriff, Sheriff wake up and open the damn door." Douglas yelled as he pounded on the door to Lucas Simms home. "Alright Jesus kid! Take it easy kid. Why you pounding on my door at this hour?" Lucas said more than a little annoyed as he opened the door. "We have a very big problem." Lucas Simms was not pleased when he heard what Douglas had to say, as they were now both running to the saloon to confront the man who intended to destroy the town. Upon entering the saloon Lucas and Douglas approached the shifty man cornering him in the side of the room where he sat. "Mr. Burke you're coming with me right now for conspiracy to detonate the bomb." The man stared at him with an annoyed expression like he was wasting his time. Why Sheriff I do believe I have no idea as to what you are referring to. Someone is obviously trying to misguide you." He calmly stated as Douglas could swear he was glaring at him through his glasses the entire time. "Shove it Burke I have evidence so you are coming with me now alive, or leaving here in a sack." The Sheriff punctuating his words by chambering a round into his Type 93 rifle. "Very well Sheriff as you wish I will humor you." _I don't like this that was way too easy._ As Lucas began leading Burke toward the door Douglas noticed Burke reaching for a concealed weapon. "Sheriff watch out!" Douglas yelled as he lunged at the man from behind grabbing onto his right arm as the man was pulling the weapon out. Shots fired out pinging against the floor and walls of the saloon while Douglas was wrestling the gun from the man. He elbowed the man in the face gaining control of the gun and firing three rounds into the man's chest killing him, the whole debacle lasting less than 15 seconds stunning the sheriff and those few who had come to Moriarty's for breakfast. _Wow kids fast, how in the hell did I not see that? I'm damn lucky this kid was here_. "I must be getting slow in my old age you just saved my life kid." The Sheriff exclaimed patting him on the back as others went about their business. Buying him a drink before heading back out on patrol of the town. As Douglas drank his beer at the bar he thought of what he should do now. _As much as I want to_ _even if I found information on where dad had gone right this second I don't have the resources to go and follow the leads. I need to get my feet wet first and do some odd jobs first earn some caps, and I still need tools to go and disarm that bomb so no one else can try anything hmmm. A_ lone in his thoughts Douglas didn't notice a woman had entered the saloon and sat next to him. "Hey there I don't recognize you, new in town or something". The woman asked as Douglas turned to see who was talking to him. The girl was young with blond hair a pale but tanned complexion, and green eyes, wearing a black vest like overcoat with a white revealing shirt underneath and black pants. _Wow quite the looker kind of reminds of Amata in a lot of ways._ Yeah you could say that came into town looking for something to do. He said smiling at her. I hope by something to do you mean work. Otherwise you want to talk with Nova. "I'm actually looking for someone to make a delivery. You wouldn't happen to be interested would you?" _A_ d _elivery that sounds like it could be fairly easy to do, and it would give me an opportunity to get my feet wet out here._ "Sure why not, should be an easy job." He said taking another swig from his drink. "Great! I'm Lucy by the way Lucy West, I'd like you to deliver this letter to my family in the settlement of Arefu. I haven't heard from them in a few months so I'm worried about them. And as soon as you get there talk to my father he'll be sure to pay you for the trouble." Douglas finished his drink and left after Lucy gave him the letter and directions to Arefu heading to Moira's shop. "Hey there again so decide on what you wanted to do first for the book?" Moira asked as he walked in. "Umm yeah pretty sure tell me about this Super-Duper Mart." He asked as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Ohh good so this first part is about food and where to get it, an old market like that must have some food still there. If you can find food or even meds in there it will make for great information in the book." _Sounds easy enough get in get food and leave._ "Alright I can do that. Ohh hey before I forget I was wondering if you had any tools I want to try and disarm that bomb down there." Moira smiled at him when he said that. "Ohhh that's so thoughtful of you, Ide have to look around for a few things but I should be able to come up with what you may need to disarm it by the time you get back from Super-Duper Mart. Ohh and be careful there are people out there called raiders, they want nothing more than to rape, kill, and enslave people. Not nice folks." She said warningly. "Ok, thanks for the warning Moira."

After a short hike from town later Douglas could see the building down the hill. _I wonder who in their right mind names a store Super-Duper Mart anyway that's so cheesy it's ridiculous._ Walking down the side of the building he froze when he heard a fire fight in the parking lot around the corner of the building. Resting his rifle in his hands he crept up to the corner while taking it off safety, peering around what he saw shocked him gigantic ants were attacking several people who were firing wildly at them. They wore outfits that looked like they were patchworks of leather and metal, with dirt covering them. _"Giant ants!? What in the world? That's actually pretty awesome now that I think about it. Awesome but terrifying."_ His first thought was to help them but then he remembered what Moira had told him. "Not everyone is as nice as we are." _I have to be careful how I play this they could shoot me on sight for all I know._ With that in mind he moved forward taking cover behind an old wrecked car in the lot and began firing at the nearest Giant ant. "Who the hell is that asshat?" One of the people shouted as they fell back toward the store. "Don't know Shoot him and these fucking ants." Several shots pinged against the car causing Douglas to duck behind it fully. "Mother fuckers! A guy tries to help and this is the thanks you give." He cursed to himself. _Alright that's how they want to play it I'm game._ Douglas rose from his position emptying his clip into the raiders who were fleeing toward the store cutting 3 of the five down in the process before cooking off a grenade and tossing it at the two ants who were fairly close to one another. The blast killed one of them while blowing the legs of the other it screaming in agony at the loss of its appendages slowly bleeding to death. "Kill that bastard already!" One of the surviving raiders yelled firing franticly at Douglas who had changed to his pistol firing three shots into the raider's chest. _Ok one more where the hell is he?_ "Right here you bastard!" As if reading his mind the raider answered him, he had snuck around him flanking him. He fired a single shot into Douglas's left shoulder but not another as his clip had run dry "ARGHHH! Mother fucker Douglas swore as he turned falling onto his back emptying the rest of his clip into the raider's chest before clutching his shoulder. "Arghh fuck that hurts." Douglas dug through his pack finding the stimpaks and injecting one into the wound. _That should stop the bleeding and fight off the pain till I can get back to town and get the doc to remove the bullet._ Reloading his weapons and grabbing his pack Douglas looted the bodies of the raiders pocketing more 10mm ammo and a few stimpaks and made his way into the store cautiously knowing there could be more of them if they were defending the store. _Should be an easy job I thought, I'm sure not to run into any trouble I thought I'm a fucking idiot._ He looted the Nuka Cola machine in the entry way grabbing 2 colas and a drink that shined with a tantalizing blue glow. _Nuka Cola Quantum? Huh that's an interesting glow._ He stuffed them into his pack and made his way around the right side of the store until he was at the end of the shelves. Peering around Douglas saw 3 more raiders gathered around a fire and a forth on a makeshift catwalk on the shelving. _Great more of them, my day just keeps getting better and better._ Douglas crept his way forward until he was close but out of sight. _Ok vats let's see what you can do._ Douglas manipulated his pipboy's Vault-tec Assisted Targeting System to iron out the best plan of attack on the four oblivious raiders, he chose to use the large hanging light above the fire to kill the three there and a 3 round burst to finish off the one on the platform.

"Ok let's do this." Douglas sprang into action firing at the old lighting fixture which broke off from the ceiling plummeting down and crushing the raiders before they could react to the gun shots, then firing at the one on the platform two of his rounds hitting her in the chest the other in the head. "What the hell was that?" He heard a woman yell out from the door to his right. He rushed to the wall near the door and waited for it to open. "Turn around and don't move." He told the woman as she walked out the door his rifle pointed straight at her head. "Oh shit, ok ok just don't shoot." She said doing as he had said. She was cleaner than the others he had seen and looked to be around his age with almost bleached blond hair with a green stripe down her left bang that matched her eyes and looked to be of some Asian descent, wearing less revealing cloths as well still patch work but more modest. "I just killed 5 outside and 4 in here how many of you are left?" When she didn't answer he fired a shot past her head. "HOW MANY!?" _Holy shit if I don't answer him I'm dead. And if I help him maybe he'll even take me with him, fuck those assholes_. The woman flinched at the threat the thundering crack of his rifle echoing in the store. "Ffff-four more not including me they went out on a raid an hour ago they should be back any minute now. _Great more of them maybe I could set a trap for them, but first what to do with her._ "Please I don't want anything to do with these scumbags anymore, they do such horrible things I can't stomach it. Please." _Am I going to regret trusting her, she could be playing me for a fool._ "Hey were back, where the hell are you bastards 5 of ours are dead out there." A voiced played over the store's intercom. _Shit not good not good, all she has to do is yell out and I'm getting cornered by 4 more of these guys._ "Let me help you I can draw them into a trap and you can kill them." _Can I trust her?_ "Why should I trust you? You can easily tip them off ide be better of shooting you and taking my chances." Douglas was tense time was running out he had to make a decision fast or he could end up dead, and he couldn't let that happen. _Fuck it!_ "Fine! Lead them back here I'll set up an ambush, and if you betray my trust there will not be a second chance." He had made his decision lowering his weapon. "You won't regret this I promise." She said running toward the main entrance. _I better not._ He ran over to the stores pharmacy and vaulted over the counter, setting his pack onto the floor next to him and getting ready to release hell on the raiders. Time seemed to slow for him as he waited hoping his faith in the raider girl wasn't misplaced. "Come on he's somewhere back here I know it." They were coming five pairs of boots hitting the ground getting louder every second that ticked by. "Alright split up and find him. And I want him alive he's gona pay for this." A raider with a gruff voice ordered from just a few yards away. Meanwhile the raider girl was backing away toward some restrooms on the left side of the building. "Hey boys, Surprise!" Taking that as his cue Douglas rose from his position behind the counter leveling his weapon on the raiders firing round after round into them as they were distracted by the raider girl that had betrayed them, all four being ripped apart by the rounds slicing through them. Blood spattered across the floor below them until his magazine ran dry the raiders falling to the ground beneath. None of them moved lying on the floor of the market blood pooling around them, he had killed them all. "Hey raider girl you still alive?" He shouted out as he reloaded his weapon." The girl peeked her head around the corner of the hall leading to the bathrooms looking upon the carnage he had wrought her stomach churning at the sight. "Yeah I'm good, just kind of sickened by the sight. My name is Sage by the way." Douglas vaulted back over the counter approaching her. "Douglas Myers." He said outstretching his hand for her to shake.

An hour later and Sage had helped Douglas loot the entirety of the raider's supplies in the pharmacy storage room, gaining him various types of ammunition including a mininuke for a fatman launcher, food, various, drugs, and several more bottles of Nuka Cola Quantum. "So why were you with those assholes anyway? "If you don't mind me asking Sage." He asked as they moved toward the entrance of the store. "That's a long story. You see these people were just like other wasters out there, in a settlement that was overrun by raiders called Bethesda. My parents and several other families had to raid other settlements and rob wanderers just to survive, I was only 15 at the time and my parents just wanted to protect me and keep me fed." Douglas listened but couldn't help but ask. "So where did it go wrong? When did it turn into this?" She took in a quick breath. "When my parents died, they were the voice of reason here without them the others just got more and more brutal. I was afraid to leave on my own." Sadness fell upon him as she told him her story he knew the feeling the loss, he didn't know if he'd find his dad. "Sorry. Hey ummm I'm heading back to Megaton why don't you come with I can put in a good word for you, you could probably even get work in town too." She lit up upon his words embracing him in a hug which unfortunately hit Douglas's wounded shoulder. "Ow ow ow ow please let go" He yelped. "Ohhhh oh my god I'm so sorry I just can't thank you enough sorry sorry sorry." With that Douglas and Sage made their way back across the sand blasted wastes carrying his well-earned loot back to Megaton.

I learned a lesson that day, I learned if a job seems too easy something bad is going to happen to you at some point during it. I also made a good friend for my troubles so I guess that evens things out more or less.


	6. Disarmed

Chapter 6 Disarmed

It was around 2 pm by the time they made it to town and Douglas got to the clinic. "Oww, Take it easy doc I want my arm fixed not broken." Douglas said pained as the town's doctor was extracting the 10mm round from his shoulder. "Not my fault you went and got yourself shot, now sit still and stop squirming damn it." The doc's bed side manner sucked to say the least. But he was good maybe not as good as his father but got the job done. 15 minutes later and Douglas's shoulder was bullet free and patched up, still sore but stims helped with that. "Thanks doc pleasure doing business with you." He jumped off the bed paying the man and heading out the door. The clinic was located at the base of the crater just down the hill from the town's main entrance. "Douglas, bout time he finished with you. While you were in there I found work with that old man at the water plant up there." Sage was ecstatic if the expression on her face was anything to go by. "Apparently his work load is getting to be too much to handle for just him alone and I'm good with tools so it's the perfect job for me I can't thank you enough." She said hugging him. "Ow ow ow again, please have mercy." He said slightly pained but playfully. "Big baby hahahahaha." They both laughed as they walked up the ramp toward Crater Side Supply before Sage went off to the water plant to help the old man. _I'm glad she found work so fast she'll definitely get along well here, at least I hope so_. Heading inside he wasn't prepared for what he walked into. Getting smacked in the face by a stuffed bear that came out of nowhere, bursting into a flurry of white snow like stuffing all around him. Douglas glanced at Moira while spitting fluff from his mouth. _This woman is going to get me killed at some point I just know it._ "It's never a dull moment with you when I come here Moira." Batting stuffing off his shoulder he walked over to the bench where she was working on a devise that threw the bear at him. "Ohhhhh I'm so sorry I thought I removed the battery on this thing my bad. So how did your shopping trip go? Did you find food or medicine?" _Yeah I found it alright, found a bunch of fucking raiders too._ "Yeah it wasn't easy but I found everything we talked about and more." Saying that last part under his breath he sighed. "Really? You did? You did! Well, all right! Tell me all about it." Moira exclaimed giddily as she rushed over to the counter and grabbed her notebook and pencil to scribble down what he would say. _Ok where to start? Or do I have to be super descriptive, probably not._ "Well the place definitely wasn't abandoned, a group of raiders were using the old pharmacy in there as a secure place to store their loot and they didn't part with it peacefully. Douglas recalled the story to Moira as she wondered out loud how many other places out there hide treasures behind monsters. "Well keep what you got. I just traded for a shipment of food myself why don't you take some as payment. Oh, and take this! It's an old food sanitizer. You can use to clean up some of the radiation from food and drink making them more, better I suppose." Douglas perked up taking the supplies and food sanitizer. "This is awesome Moira thanks. Ohhh and before I forget did you find those tools for me. Just as he asked Moira put a bundle of tools on the counter. "Sure did this should be everything you need." Douglas excitedly looked through them seeing what he had to work with. "Awesome Moira this is exactly what I was hoping for. Before I go what's next for the book?" He asked grabbing the bundle and stuffing it in his pack. "Well there's two bits left for the first chapter, the first is about radiation and how to survive and then well…. Then there are landmines." If Douglas had been drinking water he'd have spat it out at the mention of landmines. "What? Ok seeing as I'm terrified of what you mean by landmines lets go with radiation next. "Ok so I know a lot about radiation from old books and stuff but I haven't had the opportunity to study a live person with radiation poisoning yet. I need you to…. well get radiation poisoning, at least 600 rads worth of it then come back here so I can study you. But don't worry I have an anti-radiation cocktail I can administer to you after." Douglas's eyes shot wide open surely she didn't just say what he thought she did. "YOU NEED ME TO WHAT!?"

Douglas left not uttering another word to Moira before he stormed out. _That woman is a fucking lunatic, absolutely bat shit crazy._ Douglas made his way down the ramp to the bottom of the crater mentally cursing the woman as he went. Approaching the bomb that sat in the middle of a large water filled puddle he removed the tools from his pack and set it aside so it wouldn't get wet. _Ok time to see if I'm as good as taking things apart as I think I am._ Douglas waded into the shin high water looking for the service hatch that would allow him to remove the bombs detonation components hoping that the bomb lying on it, his pipboy's Geiger counter ticking away from the higher levels of radiation near the bomb. "Shit I'm not going to enjoy this, at least I'll have that radiation poisoning Moira wanted me to get." He sighed finding the access panel thankfully above water and unscrewing it to get access to the innards of the bomb. _This looks fairly straight forward at least, not simple but I should be able to get this done._ Douglas set out taking bits and pieces out of the bombs internal chambers as minutes passed until he reached his goal. The detonator connected to the shaped charges that would cause the bombs core to implode ultimately resulting his and everyone else's death in town and several miles around if it blew. _Ok there it is I just need to disconnect and remove that without completing a circuit and vaporizing everyone in town, piece of cake._ He joked to himself as he was honestly terrified that with one wrong move he would kill everyone. Unbeknownst to him a small crowd had gathered around watching what he was doing with bated breath, Lucas Simms was among them making sure the local cult didn't try and stop him. _Come on kid don't go blowing us up now._ Time seemed to drag on as Douglas disconnected wire after wire and screw after screw as slowly and carefully as he could. _Last one, if there is a god please don't smite me now._ He removed the last screw slowly pulling the detonator from the casing sighing a breath that he felt like he'd been holding since he had started. He stood wrapping the detonator in with his tools in the bundle turning to see the crowd that had gathered. Lucas was the first to ask. "Is it? Is it disarmed kid?" He asked hope written upon his face that the next word's out of the kid's mouth would confirm it. "Yeah she's disarmed, she won't be detonating without a detonator." A cheer rang out from the crowd as the tedium of the last 30 minutes erupted into excited relief. "Damn good work kid you're a damned hero. You've earned those caps and the deed to that home I mentioned, damn fine work indeed." The Sheriff praised him handing him his reward as the crowd surrounded and thanked him. When the crowd finally dispersed all who remain was Douglas and Lucas at the water's edge. "Hey you aren't looking so good kid how about we get you over to the clinic let Doc clean you up. Douglas didn't feel good either he was sweating and felt like he was going to faint from exhaustion. Glancing at his pipboy the readout being just over where he had wanted it to be. "Damn 625 rads. Yeah I could use some help but not to the Docs get me to Moira." Despite the Sheriff's protest he helped Douglas up to Crater Sid Supply. Douglas felt like his was burning up by the time they got there.

"Ohh dear dear dear, feeling a little under the weather are we? Or over the Geiger-Counter? Sit him down right over here." Moira said with an annoying yet honestly caring tone when the sheriff staggered in with Douglas leaning on him. "He told me to bring him here instead of the Docs, what the hell are you up to now Moira?" Douglas was barely coherent at this point but he had heard what Lucas had said. "Not entirely her fault sheriff, I agreed to it after all go home I'll be fine." The Sheriff begrudgingly left after helping Douglas to sit down. "Ok Moira I'm about as irradiated as I can get before I melt a hole through your floor." He said coughing and wheezing in fits in between words, while Moira was ecstatic running to get her note book and medical supplies overjoyed at her chance to study someone with such a high rad level. "Ok soo tell me how you're feeling. Light headed, Nauseous, any pain of some kind?" She asked clinging to her pencil and paper already writing down observations. _If you only knew what this felt like Moira if you only knew._ Coughing Douglas tiredly stated. "Who me I'm fine I'm just great, hell if you listen close enough you can hear my cells yelling in agony as they're ripped apart by gamma radiation." He had said that with a little more venom in his voice than he had liked. "Ohh you poor dear, having some hallucinations are we? Don't worry a bit of Brahmin milk and some magnets and you'll be fixed up in no time." Douglas must have passed out after that point because when he woke up it was 4 hours three hours later. He felt better not one hundred percent mind you but better. Upon opening his eyes he was met with Moira's cheery face right in front of making him jump with a start. "JESUS Moira! What happened? Your treatment work out alright?" Douglas asked as he stretched and got up from the chair he had fallen asleep in. "Well… yes and no. Your aliiive…That's the good news, however there may have been a sliiight mutation caused by your exposure. Douglas went from a tired expression to staring daggers into the woman in front of him. "What kind of mutation Moira?" He asked venom seething from his voice again. 'It seems to be benign at best, you shouldn't have to worry about it too much. Douglas had had enough he grabbed his pack and left not uttering another word to the woman on his way out knocking over Sage as he stormed out. "Ohh hey Sage sorry about that not in the best of moods right now." He said helping her up off the walk way. "It's all good you apologized, guess I should have been watching where I was walking huh. Anyway what's got you so pissed all of a sudden?" She asked dusting the rust and dirt from her backside. "Uhhhhhhhh just a long day, that and Moira's a damn lunatic at times." He said letting out an exasperated sigh at the day's turn of events. _What a day man giant ants, raiders, bullet wounds... I need a beer._ "Hey Sage want to join me for a drink at the saloon I could use the company?" Sage brightened up at the invitation cheerfully taking his hand. "Sounds like fun lead the way big guy.

Moira may be bat shit crazy at times but she's got a good heart and that mutation turned out to be very useful to me very useful indeed. As for the hangover that came from this night that I could have done without.

Authors note: Another chapter done alright! A bit shorter I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to keep up this one a day thing I've had going on its very tiring, but don't worry I'm not going anywhere. Thanks for reading and please do review ide love some feedback.

Sincerely Bradknight


	7. Notice

Hey there just a notice here my pc decided to take away my choice to update to windows 10 or not. That was fine and dandy nothing was lost file wise on the stories part… But when I tried to launch fallout 3 today I got an error that I have now after 3 hours of looking up fixes have gotten to run again. Also yesterday after I published the last chapter I just felt like complete crap so I didn't start the next chapter like I wanted to which I'm now in the process of writing as I research bits in fallout 3 as I play. So chapter 7 which I have yet to think of a name for will be up sometime tomorrow probably later in the day going off of Pacific Standard Time. As always thanks for reading and more is coming soon.

Sincerely Bradknight


	8. Dark Angel

Chapter 7 Dark Angel

Pain! The world was pain. Even the slightest glint of light felt like Douglas was right next to the sun itself. "Uhhhh huh huh what the hell did I do last night?" _Come on what are you a man or a molerat? Drink it drink it drink it drink it YEAHHHHH! Get this man another drink! "_ Uhhhh Shit! Where the hell am I?" Between bits of memory of the night before coming back to him bringing him feelings of regret immediately and his splitting headache Douglas found getting out of bed to be far harder than he thought it would be. "I made a complete ass of myself didn't I? Where the hell is Sage I was with her wasn't I?" Douglas sauntered out of the room he was in into a mostly empty second floor loft with a staircase leading down directly in front of him and a closed door to his left. "Ahhh good morning sir, I assume you slept well?" A head splitting voice rang out from the floor below him." I swear I've heard that voice before. _Andy? No it couldn't be he's back in the vault, but I know I've heard that phony British accent before._ "Not so loud you're killing me here." Douglas exclaimed clutching his head from the intrusive voice that pained his head like it was stuck in a vice as he walked down the stairs to talk to the voice face to face. "My apologies sir, I will turn down my vocalizer for your comfort. May I interest you in some water sir? You do look a bit dehydrated if I say so myself." Douglas was met by a General Atomics model Mister Handy a home service robot built before the war. It was designed somewhat like a 3 armed octopus hovering over the ground with a low power thruster jet. _Just like Andy, I suppose it's not unlikely that many would have survived the war… they are very sturdy._ "Ummm yeah sure sounds good… Hey you wouldn't happen to know where am would you?" The bot produced a laugh from its vocalizer sounding quite amused by his question. "Why sir you're within your very own domicile sir. Though now that I think about it you were rather….. What's the word you kids like to use now days, hammered I believe yes that's the word. Yes yes you and your lady friend came in around 2am this morning. I had to escort both of you to bed, separately of course. I am your robotic butler by the way sir you may call me Wadsworth." _Uhhhhhn 2 am, no wonder my head hurts so much. Wait lady friend…. SAGE!_ Douglas ran back upstairs to the closed door he had passed assuming it was a spare bedroom. Opening it he found sage sprawled out in a drunken stupor hair a mess thankfully still clothed. _Thank God! I do not need a complicated relationship right now, another one anyway the one I have with Amata is beyond complicated now._ Sighing Douglas Kneeled down next to sages bed and proceeded to try and shake her awake. "Sage Sage, wake up. Sage!" Shaking her was getting a response an irritated one. Uhhh huuuh huh, go away I don't want to wake up yet."

45 minutes later Douglas finally managed to get Sage out of bed, they were now both downstairs sharing in each other's hangover induced agony. "Why did we drink so much Big guy? And where are we?" Sage asked still half asleep while lounging on the couch on the lower floor. "Why you are in sir's private domicile Ms. Sage." Wadsworth said coming around the corner from the kitchen carrying a tray of some food and bottles of water causing Sage to jump. "Sir I took the liberty of storing and sorting your personal effects in the locker on the wall as well as putting away food items in the kitchen." The bot placed the tray on a small table off on the side of the room before dismissing himself back to the kitchen. "Thanks Wadsworth, care to eat Sage? We can share what we know of last night while trying to eat off this hangover." Douglas and Sage ate while connecting bits of story together from the night before while Wadsworth came back in every once and awhile to check if they required anything else. "So we somehow managed to go from door to door trying locks till we found the door that worked with my keys? That's amazing as it is Hilarious." Both of them laughed at the drunken adventure that they had pieced together from memory. "Yeah I don't remember everything but that's the gist of it from what I can remember anyway. Hey Douglas I was wondering something if you don't mind me asking?" Sage was starting to look a bit uncomfortable, whatever she had to ask has probably big from what Douglas could discern from her composure. "Sure thing Sage, shoot." Douglas flatly stated setting his utensils down so he could focus on sage. "Ok… so I told you I was able to get work up at the water plant right?" Nodding Douglas waited intently. "Well I wasn't able to find a place to stay here in Megaton, the common house is filled up so there's nowhere for me to stay. I was wondering if I could stay he-." Douglas cut her off not wanting her to bother saying another word he had already made up his mind." Of course Sage I don't know what ide use that spare room for anyway, plus I'm probably going to be out in the wastes more than I'm going to be here anyway so may as well have someone living in here." Douglas was blindsided by an overjoyed Sage tackling him out of his chair hugging him. "Ohhhh thank you thank you thank you I promise I'll be the best roommate you ever had." _She'll be the only roommate I ever had but that's not important._ They finished their breakfast while continuing their idle conversation before Douglas went and found his gear right where Wadsworth said it would be. Making sure his pack had a few days' worth of food, water and medical supplies he bade farewell to Sage and made his way across the catwalks toward Crater Side Supply. _Before I talk to Moira I should stop by Moriarty's and see how much of an ass I made of myself. From what I've heard of from idle conversations I've passed by, Moriarty also seems to be the local info broker as well maybe he has info on dad._ Stepping through the door of the saloon Douglas was met by a few glances his way but nothing much else. "Hey smooth skin how's the head this morning? You made a complete ass of yourself taking on Jericho in a drinking game like you did but man was it funny to watch." Gob said welcoming Douglas and flagging him over. "Yeah yeah laugh it up I'm definitely paying for it right now. Hey Gob where's your boss I need to speak with him?" Gob's smile faded at the mention of Moriarty but none the less called out to him, to which an irritated Irish accented man yelled back berating Gob. "What the hell is it now Gob? I'm busy counting my- Well I'll be a son of a whore it's you. The little baby boy, all grown up. Persistent little bastard ain't ya? Then and now, it would seem. It's been a long time kid." Douglas had an instant distrust for the man standing before him he seemed the smarmy sort not to mention the way he treated Gob. "What do you mean it's been a long time? As to my knowledge we haven't met till now." Douglas asked unsure of what he was on about. "Ohhh ho ho lad do I have a story to tell you."

Douglas was furious marching out of the saloon slamming the door behind him straight to the railing outside the saloon. _What he said it has to be lies I was born in the vault my father wouldn't lie to me like that would he? But he left and didn't tell me about his plans, is the man I know as my father just a lying deadbeat? No… No don't think like that I can't jump to conclusions he can and will explain himself when I catch up to him. At least I got information on where he went from that smarmy fuck._ Sighing Douglas took his hands from the railing his mental turmoil complete for the time being and made his way over to Moira's. Upon entering Crater Side Supply Douglas half expected something to blow up or shoot him in the face but nothing came Moira wasn't even behind the counter. "She's up stairs tinkering on something head on up." Her bodyguard who barely ever speaks a word said before going back to his complete and utter boredom. "Moira? Moira I'm here to talk about the last part of this chapter. Landmines if I'm not mistaking?" Moira perked up when he came up behind her bumping her head on the lamp over her as she sprang up to talk to him. "Owwww. Yes that's the last part of this chapter I need you to do research for. Ohh and don't mind the smell I've just been experimenting on some chemicals no worry's its completely safe." As she was saying this, the chemicals she was working on burst into flame behind her. "Hey ummmm Moira your experiment just caught fire." _That tears it I can't decide if she's more adorable than she is nuts._ "It did? OHHHH NO IT DID! No no no no no help me put this out." She said in a startled tone as she turned around and franticly tried to snuff the flames. A few minutes later Douglas and Moira had managed to get the fire out and were now downstairs at the counter. "Ok now that that's dealt with the last part of this chapter as I've said is landmines. There's an old ghost town called Minefield off a ways near Arefu and since ghosts don't exist the mines should be your only issue to deal with I just need you to go through it and get back here." Douglas could feel his right eye begin to twitch from what she had just said. The vault had all manner of movies and documentaries and he was quite fond of the war movies he knew minefields were bad business for soldiers and she wanted him to willingly walk through one. "You're serious? You want me to walk through a minefield? A minefield? Full of mines? Willingly? Fuck it why not I've done crazier already because of you may as well do this too." Resigning himself to the fact that she was nuts and that he had to be equally as nuts to go along with it he accepted this fact. "Ohhh good there should be a playground in the center of town if you can get there and back you should be fine. Oh and before I forget I didn't get to pay you for your help on the radiation bit with you storming out so fast. Take these anti-radiation drugs as apology for me playing with your DNA like a kitten with a ball of yarn, I'm sure you'll make good use of them. Good luck!" Douglas just shook his head as he walked out the door stuffing the anti-rad meds in his pack and plugging in the map data Moira had given him into his pipboy. _Ok looks like Minefield is further up north than Arefu, I can head there first then swing back round to Arefu drop off Lucy's letter and head home. Its 2pm now though I do have a bed roll I could rough it out there, Screw it I'm heading out now._

As Douglas made his way north following the river till it turned dry and then wet again he came upon a raider camp made from an old dock as the sun was just beginning to set. _Well shit and here I was hoping to avoid more difficulties till I got to Minefield, just my fucking luck._ Douglas crouched down to the dirt below him and observed for a few minutes taking note of their numbers and arms. _Ok I count three, 2 bolt action rifles and a side arm of some kind. If I can clear them out that camp would be a good place to rest for the night too._ Deciding on a course of action Douglas crept into the shallows of the pond around the dock moving as quietly as he could till he was under the dock. Two of the raiders were sitting around a fire on the dock having a conversation oblivious to their eminent demise lurking in the shallow water beneath the very dock they sat on. "You hear about what happened to the boys down at the Super-Duper Mart?" One of the raiders asked to his companion. "Nah what happened?" _They're talking about what I did. Does news really travel that fast out here?_ "They got completely wiped out man. All of them full of holes. And what's worse is it looks like it was done by one guy." _I definitely want to hear this._ "Bullshit Ky! One guy taking on a group that size that's just crazy talk had to be a team of guys." The raider retorted back. "I'm serious man one guy did this there were no other bodies then our guys a team can't be that sneaky. It's like some Demon or Dark Angel of the Wastes came and slaughtered the lot of them." The raider said sounding frightened of the thought. "You and your damned religious mumbo jumbo, there ain't no so such thing as angels or demons you're giving to much credit to whoever killed them. Dark Angel of the Wastes, ha please…" The raider laughed mocking his companion. "Yeah you laugh next thing you know this guy comes and kills the three of us. I'm heading to bed keep an eye out." When the raiders had finished Douglas crept up the shore onto the dock the only raider on it was facing away from him as he crept up behind him. "Don't believe in Dark Angels do you?" Douglas whispered into the raider's ear while covering his mouth with his hand as he plunged his Knife into his spine the raider letting out a muffled wail as Douglas ended his life. "Cart you alright man what the hell's going on over there." Douglas bolted over to the shack at the end of the dock when he heard the voice of the other raider calling out to his dead friend. "HOLY SHIT! Cart what the hell happen-?" The raider didn't get to finish as Douglas grabbed him has he came around the corner placing his knife to the raiders neck. "Don't move a muscle or you won't live long enough to try something! Call out to the other one, get her over here." Douglas said to the raider as intimidating as he could. "Heyaa… Mags we got a problem get your ass over here." Douglas using his free hand grabbed his sidearm and leveled at the door the raider had called out too. "What the hell do you want now can't a girl get some sleep without you morons fucking something up out he-?" Douglas silenced the woman as she came out the door of the shack firing 3 rounds into her chest. Her life ending as she slumped against the shack door trailing blood along it as she fell. "Who the hell are you?" The remaining raider in Douglas's clutches spoke as he was quite obviously afraid for his life. "I believe you just gave me my name Ky, I'm the Dark Angel of the Wastes come to kill all who prey upon those that can't stand against you scum." Douglas said he himself preying upon the mans fears and superstitions causing the raider to visibly shake in utter terror of the man behind him. "Please! please don't kill me I don't want to die. _This guy really is terrified…. Ok i won't kill him I'll use him. "_ I'm not going to kill you. You're going to run, run to the nearest raider camp and tell them the Dark Angel of the Wastes slaughtered your group and the group at Super-Duper Mart. Then you're going to run to the next camp and the next camp and the next camp and tell them the exact same thing. You will make them fear me and you will pray that we never meet again." Douglas kicked the raider away who ran terrified into the darkness while Douglas had an ear to ear grin plastered upon his face and mischievous glint in his eyes. _This is going to be fun._

I had no idea that the title Dark Angel of the Wastes that I made use of in jest to amuse myself that night would go on to talked about all over the Capital Wasteland. Raiders would come to fear the title and waste landers would find hope in it, I However would find it to become my alter ego my mischievousness personified. My greatest blessing my burden and my curse.

Authors Note: There we have it Chapter 7. Publishing a bit later than I wanted too on account of there being a birthday party I had forgotten about whoops. But anyway thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know with a review ide love some feedback.

Sincerely Bradknight


	9. Visions

Chapter 8 Visions

Douglas Awoke as the first sliver of daylight was just making its presence known upon the wastes its heat already making the cool morning air rise in temperature. After making sure that the camp really was clear after the night's events he had secured the door to the shack to the best of his ability in effort to keep the wastes at bay till he awoke. _Not the best night's sleep but I'm not complaining, just glad to have had a roof over my head and walls around me._ Douglas got up from his bed roll stretching his muscles as he went while rubbing the sleep from his eyes before gathering his things and heading out the door. _Minefields northeast of here should get there before midday, if I skip breakfast that is._ Douglas thought to himself considering his course of action. _Yeah I want to get a start on the day before the heat creeps in._ Resuming his trek across the dead and dry sands of the land before him Douglas marched only stopping to search an old train yard along his path in which he had to fight several creature that resembled large dog sized mole rats before resuming his trek. A few hours of marching and Douglas was now in sight of his first destination just down the hill from his position. "So that's Minefield? Looks like an old suburban neighborhood, a few standing homes as well. Other than the mines I can't see why people would be so terrified of this place?" Douglas said to himself as he surveyed the neighborhood unaware of the fellow that had come up behind him. "There are tales of a phantom haunting those ruins that kills any who get past the mines. Whether or not these tales are true or not, I can't say." Douglas bolted upright from his kneeling position spinning around as he grabbed for his rifle leveling it at the gruff yet raspy voice behind him. What Douglas saw behind him was not what he had expected, a creature that looked remotely human but every inch of its body clad in muscle with a sickly greenish yellow skin covering it towering above him standing at around 7'6 feet tall in height. "What in the world are you?" Douglas said a bit ruder than he was hoping for. "A human that doesn't know what a super mutant is? This is something I never thought ide come across. I thank you for not firing the minute you turned around like most would have, and I must apologize I should not have snuck up on you like I did. I am Uncle Leo." _Super Mutant that's a fitting title this guy's massive I doubt ide even scratch him with my rifle, unless I aimed for the head._ "Yeah it's alright my names Douglas. Sorry about being so rude before you just startled the shit out of me." Douglas replied letting out a sigh as he lowered his weapon. "I took no offence my, current state does tend to invoke that kind of response from people I'm used to it." Douglas immediately felt sorry for the individual before him at his reply mutant implies that there was a state being before the current one that stood before him. _Leo must have been human before becoming… this, this creature I can't imagine how painful a process that must have been poor guy._ "Hey Leo, would you care to share a late breakfast? I killed some giant mole rat like creatures on my way here took some meat off of them. We could eat and you could tell me about some of the dangers of the area. What do you say?" Douglas could swear he saw happiness beam out of Leo's eyes at his suggestion. "I would enjoy that."

A few hours later and it was just turning 11am. Douglas had been speaking to Uncle Leo about many dangers of the wastes most importantly Leo's brothers the other Super Mutants. Not all were as sane and intelligent as Leo in fact most were unable to form proper sentences or do the simplest of tasks other than killing. "Thank you for telling me so much about the dangers out here Leo I enjoyed our conversation." Douglas said as he gathered his things and kicked dirt onto the fire they had started to cook the mole rat on. "As did I my friend I wish you luck on your endeavors wherever they may take you." Parting ways with his new found friend Uncle Leo, Douglas began his descent toward Minefield gaining a feeling of anxious dread the closer he got to the neighborhood. _I don't like this. This place feels wrong like the walls have eyes wrong. Could those stories about phantoms not just be stories…_ Deep in his thoughts while watching his footing as he passed over many mines on his way into the neighborhood, Douglas didn't realize he really was being watched. A shot rang out after a bullet hit the car beside him catching the aged fusion powered car alight. "SHIT! Fucking snipers now damn it Moira I'm giving you a piece of my mind when I get ba….. Wait, Car, fusion powered. HOLY SHIIIIIIIIIIT! Douglas ran tripping motion sensors on mines as he went bashing down the door of the nearest house to him down as he dove in, the car exploded in massive blast behind him shaking the decrepit house and sending a hail storm of small bits of metal, concrete chunks, and dust flying in after him. "Cough…. Cough, Uhhhhh fuck you Moira." Douglas swore as he pushed himself up off the ground dusting himself off as he checked for any injury. _No New holes that a plus… Ok sniper asshole how do I deal with him? If I leave out the front door I'm a dead man, maybe if I find a window on the second floor I can locate the bastard._ Deciding on his course of action Douglas ran up the stairs of the house to the master bedroom of the home which had a window facing the direction he hoped hit would. Crouching down and peering around the corner of the window frame. _Now where are you, you son of a bitch?_ Douglas spotted the culprit a man lying prone on the second floor of a destroyed building just beyond the playground he needed to reach. _I_ _got you now._ Douglas took out his R91 rifle switching it to single fire as he aimed down the sights. _Don't miss._ Douglas breathed in deeply firing as he exhaled firing three separate rounds toward the Phantom of Minefield, two hitting the column behind him but one striking the man in the head killing him. "Sorry Phantom but I intend on living."

With the sniper dead Douglas proceeded to loot the home he was in finding a few books in good condition and some ammunition in a safe before carefully covering the remaining distance between him and the playground successfully. Proceeding from there Douglas made his was up into the ruined building the sniper had been in coming upon the body of an old man on the sniper perch. "Aw shit sorry old man it was you or me and I sure as hell wasn't letting it be me." Douglas then noticed a set of marks running around the old man's neckline, his mood changing from passive to sadness in an instant. "Oh god I killed a runaway slave, poor bastard must have been so afraid of slavers he placed all these mines and killed anyone that got through. Shit!" Leo had told him about slavers running their trade out of a settlement to the north called Paradise Falls and how they used explosive collars to control their slaves this one had escaped and he killed him. Douglas paid his respects to the man he had killed guilt motivating him to clean up the man's face of blood and prop him up at the column behind him rifle cradled in his arms. "Keep watch for me, will you Old Man?" Douglas left the perch after searching the ammo boxes lying around pocketing what ammo he found as well as several mines away to sort through later before searching the two of the three remaining homes in the neighborhood finding more books, food, water, and some meds and various ammunition types. It was when he approached the final home his feelings of utter dread returned causing his hair to stand on end and his hands to become sweaty. As Douglas's hand reached the door handle he felt as if his hand was being dipped in acid. "RAAAWHHHHHH! What the hell is this? Douglas clutched his hand in agony as images flashed through his mind. Images of the day the bombs fell on the capital the fires blazing the heat rending flesh from bone and the cries of millions being extinguished in an instant. It all felt to real like the pain of millions radiated from the handle into his very soul. "WHAT! What the hell was that? Fuck this, I'm out Moira isn't paying me enough to deal with…. With whatever the hell that was."

The more distance Douglas put between himself and Minefield the better he started to feel as he traveled back toward the Potomac River. _Seriously what the hell was that ghosts aren't real? But if they aren't real what on earth explains what just happened?_ Shaking his head of his thoughts Douglas continued to walk the same trail he had walked to get to Minefield in the first place. The trip was uneventful as he crossed the Potomac finding his way to the half-buried road of the old world leading to Arefu which he could see in the distance. _Just like Lucy said a town built upon an old freeway overpass. It's defendable at least only one way in… and out._ The time was getting later and later in the day the sun just beginning to turn the sky orange as it began its descent behind the horizon to make room for the night sky that chased it in an endless dance. _Despite the devastation and constant threat of death there is_ beauty _in the world to go along with all the ugly._ Douglas sighed at his thought his vision filled with the sights of the horizon, it's how he noticed the raider encampment in an old motel off the road a ways near a ruined bridge directly on his path. "Great more raiders right in my way too, I think it's time for the Dark Angel of the Wastes to strike more fear into the raider tribes of the Capital Wasteland." Douglas let a smirk play across his face as he waited for the sun to set and the night sky to greet the wastes with its twinkling lights and no moon shining, it would be a dark night, a shroud to conceal his movements as he preyed upon the unsuspecting raiders. "Five in the house two trolling under the bridge, let's get this night started." Douglas let mind go blank as a grin spread across his face while he wrapped his head with the scarf he had gotten to protect him from sand and secured the goggles to his eyes, he made an intimidating sight to say the least. All five of the raiders in the motel were huddled around a fire in the bottom floor of the wrecked two story building conversing about the day's events, from ambushing a caravan to killing some wanderers Douglas would have no sympathy for any of them as they expressed pride in their horrible deeds. "Did you hear what that nut Ky said before running off today." _Here we go._ "Yeah talking about some Dark Angel come to kill us all for our wrong doings, bunch of bullshit if you ask me guys a total nut case." Douglas pulled the pin on his final grenade his smirk hidden by his shroud, tossing it into the middle of the group as they all glanced down at it. "OHHHH SHIT!" One of the raiders yelled as they all scrambled to their feet. The raiders were too late to get away however from the ensuing blast that killed and dismembered those closest, while striking a single lucky raider several times with shrapnel as she leapt over the old bath tub near to her. She was writhing on the ground trying her best to clutch the holes in her back to no avail, before staring up into the goggles of the man who had attacked them the light of the fire flickering in the reflection the steel colored eyes behind boring straight into her soul. She cried out in terror at the demon before her as he pulled the trigger of his 10mm ending her life. Douglas slinked back into the shadows as the remaining raiders ran up the hill from under the bridge up toward the motel weapons raised and calling out to only the dead that inhabited the building now. "Holy shit its bad in there man blood and body parts everywhere. Who the hell did this?" One of the raiders asked the other as he was visibly sickened by all the gore inside even though they themselves had decorated the motel with the bodies of their victims. "You… You don't think Ky wasn't full of shit do you?" _Play time._ Douglas let out an unsettling laugh as he dashed around them in the dark, causing the raiders to jump their heads shooting back and forth wondering where the laugh was coming from. "Fuck this man I'm so out of here I didn't sign up to deal with lunatics." The raider ran out into the dark leaving behind his compatriot standing in the flickering light near the motel. "Get back here you coward! Don't leave me hear like this you jackass." The answer he got back from the darkness that surrounded him was the blood curdling scream of his cowardly compatriot as Douglas tore his throat out with his knife. "Jacks…? Please tell me your playing a prank on me right now you asshole." Douglas watched as the raider shook where he stood grasping his rifle in his hands aiming it toward where he stood in the darkness. "Your friend can't hear you he's gone and drowned in his own blood, and your next." The raider yelped in fear at Douglas's terrifying voice coming from the dark firing his weapon blindly into his direction until it clicked empty, none of his rounds connecting with anything but the suffocating darkness that was encroaching upon him as the scattered campfire was dying off behind him. "You missed, my turn. Douglas leveled his pistol at the raider firing a round into one of his legs. "Raawaahah! What the hell are you?" The raider swore in agony clutching his bleeding leg while reaching for his side arm that had fallen from his pants when he fell to the ground. Only to have Douglas step on his fingers as they reached the pistol. Looking up at the demon in man's clothing in terror the raider knew that the Dark Angel of the Wastes was real. He was staring into the goggle covered steel eyes of darkness itself and the barrel of his own demise. "I'm the Dark Angel of these Wastes and your pathetic lives are forfeit." Douglas pulled the trigger punctuating his statement and bringing an end to his game of terrorizing the raiders of the wastes for the night. "Huh? What the hell just happened?" Douglas stared down into the lifeless terrified eyes of the raider beneath him fear seeping into his own heart. "What did I just do?"

Those visions in Minefield terrified me I've never been the spiritual type of person or believed in superstitions like Demons and Angels despite my father's best efforts to get me to believe. But that day I came to question that disbelief and to question whether there really were things that lurked beyond our ability to perceive. The answer to those questions…. Well let's just say there are some places in the wastes I will never go back to again as long as I live.

Authors note: Ooooooow foreboding ha ha ha. If you haven't guessed yet something is a bit off about Douglas his loss of memory when he conducts acts of brutality and his ability to pick up on the emotional state of an area such as the home in Minefield to name a few. I'm having fun writing this I think I'm a bit of a sadist myself guess it justifies the M rating. Anyway thanks for reading.

Sincerely Bradknight


	10. Darkness

Chapter 9

Darkness, Douglas stumbled around in the endless labyrinth of vault 101's deepest levels for what purpose he knew not. "HELLO! Is anyone here" Nothing but the ever present silence responded to him. Douglas knew these corridors knew the vault every which way but he was lost in the darkness. It wasn't normal, no light at all just an ever suffocating blanket of pitch black around him constricting further and further. "HELLO! ANYONE! Where the hell am I?" Every time Douglas thought he had found his way the corridors just seemed to shift leading him into yet another dead end or endless hallway. "You're right where you should be, among friends, your only true friends." Douglas stopped as an ethereal voice spoke in a whisper that brought hair to stand on end and fear to seep into his heart. "Who… who's there?" Douglas franticly turned from side to side searching the darkness. "You know me. I'm an ever present piece of you." The darkness around him took form before him the light that had been drowned in the sea of black leaking back into the halls of the vault. "I am you. Every dark impulse every sadistic thought every bit of rage. I am you, I am Darkness." Douglas turned to run from the dark form into the light of the corridors every turn he took leading back to the faceless dark figure. "Face it Douglas you can't escape the Darkness inside of you. Embrace me, it's the only way we may both yet survive in this hell of a wasteland." Douglas Fell to his knees before the dark figure exhausted the darkness sapping his strength to resist he couldn't stop the encroaching darkness. Its features morphing to match his as Douglas stared into his very own face his own eye boring back into him. "NOOO! This isn't who you are Douglas. You have to wake up, WAKE UP!"

"AMATA!" Clutching his chest Douglas bolted upright drenched with sweat his heart beating a mile a minute as he sucked in gulps of air reeling from his all too real dream. _Holy shit that dream, was it a dream? It felt so real, too real._ "Am I a monster? Those raiders I didn't just kill them I terrorized them, I… I made them suffer before I killed them, no I butchered them." Deep in his thoughts and self-doubt Douglas begrudgingly gathered his bed roll and stuffed it away in his pack before slinging it over his shoulder. _I can't keep these thoughts running around endlessly in my head, I have to block them out. Arefu, I need to reach Arefu._ Taking off down the road from the motel Douglas walked the remaining distance to the ruined overpass that the settlement sat upon, his mental debate continuing despite his best efforts to block them out. So deep in his thoughts he didn't notice the threat that lingered at the top of the overpass until a makeshift bomb landed at his feet. "What the hell? OHHHHH SHIT!" Douglas dove back as fast as he could, the bomb going off behind him as he managed to get to the partial safety of a burned out car. Several bits of shrapnel digging into his left leg that was still exposed while the rest pinged off the rusted metal of the car at his back. "AHHH! Fuck that stings. HOLD YOUR FIRE YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES! I'm not your enemy." Douglas clutched his leg as a painful throb began radiating around the fresh holes made by the fragments of stone and metal. "OHHHH Hell you're not one of them shit! KAREN I NEED SOME HELP OUT HERE NOW!" What Douglas didn't realize is his leg was worse than he had though it was he was losing blood fast the voice that was right next to him sounded distant like it was at the end of a tunnel he was quickly losing consciousness as he felt two pairs of arm lifting him up.

Douglas awoke sometime later his head feeling just like it had two days before after the drinking game with Jericho. "Uhhhhhhh! My head, where am I? Whose bed am I in?" Douglas threw the thin blanket that was draped over him off and stumbled to his feet only a slight soreness in his leg. "No no no no no you shouldn't be up your leg can't-. Your leg, it's healed? How is that possible it's only been 3 days?" A woman who appeared to be in her early twenties from what Douglas could discern with dirty blond hair and a patchwork cloth gown like dress came into the room stunned at Douglas's recover. And to be honest she was right his leg was in bad shape but he was standing 3 days after the incident that caused it, it made him think. _The mutation! It must be the cause of this advanced healing it's the only thing that could explain it. Moira you are a crazy genius._ "I uhhhhh, I have a mutation I believe that's the cause of this accelerated healing. I'm as shocked as you are I had no idea that it could do this. By the way who are you?" He asked the woman who was staring at him still stunned at his recovery. "I… I'm Karen, Karen Schenzy, I'm a resident of Arefu I've been watching over you for the past 3 days since Evan nearly-." Douglas cut her off the memory of how he got here coming back to him. "Since Evan nearly killed me with a fucking bomb!" His word came out a bit snappishly. "Yes since that. I'm sorry we've all been on edge lately. We've been getting attacked by a band of people that call themselves the family and Evan's just trying to keep us all safe it's been hard on him." His anger faltered at her statement. He could forgive a mistake like that not forget it but forgive. It was at this time he noticed his state of undress causing him to blush, he was in nothing but his undershirt and boxers that he wore under his suit. "Hey ummmmm you wouldn't happen to have my things lying around somewhere would you? You know so I could get dressed." She noticed his lack of dress as he asked her, her face turning the same shade of scarlet as his as she stammered. "Uhhhh yes yes I do." She stared awkwardly at him for several moments before his question clicked with her. "OHHH yes I'll go get them for you." She quickly left the room stammering as she went. _She's cute in an awkward kind of way._ "I did my best to patch up the holes in your suit it's not perfect but it should hold for a while, here you go." She said coming back into the room holding his folded suit and pack in her outstretched arms. "Thanks, hey where are my weapons?" He asked while he put his suit back on. "Evan has them over at his place, he didn't want you waking up and going crazy." _Understandable, still he wouldn't have to worry about that if he didn't go around trying to blow the legs off of everyone that came to town._ Shaking his head at his thought Douglas finished putting on his armored suit and pack after checking all its contents were where they were supposed to be before exiting the room. "You should go talk to Evan he'll give you your weapons back and I'm sure he'll want to apologize as well." Douglas nodded heading for the door out double checking his suits straps as he went. "Right thanks Karen for you know making sure I didn't die."

That was my first brush with death, well closest by that point in time anyway. What I took out of the experience, don't walk around in the wastes deep in thought or you could end up legless.

Authors Note: Sorry for the length of the chapter and the wait for it, I've been fairly busy lately that and the whole one a day thing bled my enthusiasm for writing a bit. I'm still continuing this story but I'm not writing a chapter a day probably 2 to 4 a month or so. Thanks for reading.


	11. Long overdue I'm not dead update

Update: Hello to you the reader. It's about time I make an update for anyone wondering.

My pc decided to up and die on me and I couldn't get a replacement till now.

But with the holiday season just around the corner and me having multiple family events planned I will not be updating the story until sometime in January of 2017.

I will also be going back and editing one or more chapters I'm not happy with. So, with that said I'm sorry for up and disappearing but it wasn't in my control. To all of you I wish a happy holiday season and a happy new year. And thank you for reading.


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